Emergency spiral stairs

[Ex LT]

Is there a list of how many steps there are at each lift station. I have seen the map TfL produced but I mean the stairs that are in a separate shaft even closed stations if possible.

TIA

 

[Snow1964]

Some of them used to have (and might still do) a sign at the bottom with the number of steps.

Back in the late 1980s I did a course near Angel, whilst expansion of station was happening, and it was down to one lift at the time. There was lot of steps to walk up, even more if you include those from island platform. A new platform tunnel, and 2 banks of escalators with a middle concourse for the Chelsea-Hackney line replaced the lifts and stairs.

Top one now is Hampstead with 320 steps, next is Covent Garden at 193 steps.

But it very complicated to give quantities, as some stations have multiple entrances, and because of sloping sites, some have few extra steps at certain entrances only.

 

[thomalex]

2 banks of escalators with a middle concourse for the Chelsea-Hackney line

Hang on.... there's a middle concourse built in anticipation of the Chelsea-Hackney line at Angel?

 

[swt_passenger]

Hang on.... there's a middle concourse built in anticipation of the Chelsea-Hackney line at Angel?

It’s not so surprising when you consider how long it is since Chelney was being planned, they started way back in the 70s and 80s.

 

[Lockwood]

Don't the step counts on the signs often not match the actual count?

Anyway, it's the same height as a 15-storey building

 

[AlbertBeale]

Don't the step counts on the signs often not match the actual count?

Anyway, it's the same height as a 15-storey building

The stations that I use which have spiral staircases (which I use occasionally - though more often when going downwards...) seem to have the number of steps that the signs suggest. But the warning signs in some places saying things such as "like climbing the stairs in a x-storey building" are notoriously nonsense. I am sometimes puzzled that the signs at the bottom of some staircases don't just warn you how many steps there are, but say "use only in emergency" or similar. Do they really have such a dim view of people's fitness these days that they want to dissuade people from going up the stairs if they want to?

 

[Sunil_P]

78 at Lancaster Gate

 

[Turtle]

The stations that I use which have spiral staircases (which I use occasionally - though more often when going downwards...) seem to have the number of steps that the signs suggest. But the warning signs in some places saying things such as "like climbing the stairs in a x-storey building" are notoriously nonsense. I am sometimes puzzled that the signs at the bottom of some staircases don't just warn you how many steps there are, but say "use only in emergency" or similar. Do they really have such a dim view of people's fitness these days that they want to dissuade people from going up the stairs if they want to?

Have you watched any Geoff Marshall YouTube videos?

 

[bramling]

The stations that I use which have spiral staircases (which I use occasionally - though more often when going downwards...) seem to have the number of steps that the signs suggest. But the warning signs in some places saying things such as "like climbing the stairs in a x-storey building" are notoriously nonsense. I am sometimes puzzled that the signs at the bottom of some staircases don't just warn you how many steps there are, but say "use only in emergency" or similar. Do they really have such a dim view of people's fitness these days that they want to dissuade people from going up the stairs if they want to?

The issue is with people who decide to use the stairs when they get impatient waiting for a lift, which is a particular problem at Covent Garden - they get part way up the staircase and then find they can’t manage it. Those fit enough to use the stairs know the score.

Nowadays more stairs are covered by CCTV, but in the old days you wouldn’t want someone collapsing as they could be there for some time before anyone realised.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The issue is with people who decide to use the stairs when they get impatient waiting for a lift, which is a particular problem at Covent Garden - they get part way up the staircase and then find they can’t manage it. Those fit enough to use the stairs know the score.

Nowadays more stairs are covered by CCTV, but in the old days you wouldn’t want someone collapsing as they could be there for some time before anyone realised.

The other reason is that people passing each other on them leads to accidents as they are very narrow. At Euston they are signed for public use going down but for emergency use only (with quite strongly worded signage) going up. This signage appeared when there were escalator closures for refurb so everyone was directed down them.

 

[pitdiver]

I don't know how many Googe St has but I know it's a lot. I've climbed up and down them in the middle of the night enough times, when I was a Station Supervisor there

 

[matt_world2004]

Camden was taped off when I walked past it the other day so.I guess they don't want you to use it unless it's a real emergency

 

[BJames]

I don't do Hampstead's stairs but I must admit I do have a tendency to do Covent Garden's unless there is a lift ready and waiting and enough space. Probably doesn't save me much or any time but it does help me get some exercise in.

Mornington Crescent doesn't have that many (it's like 65 or 75 or something within that region) so I almost exclusively use the stairs there.

 

[Taunton]

I don't do Hampstead's stairs but I must admit I do have a tendency to do Covent Garden's unless there is a lift ready and waiting and enough space. Probably doesn't save me much or any time but it does help me get some exercise in.

Mornington Crescent doesn't have that many (it's like 65 or 75 or something within that region) so I almost exclusively use the stairs there.

Not Underground, but the Greenwich foot tunnel spiral stairs have 100 each side, and I commonly delight in racing (more youthful) visitors we are showing round London while they are waiting for the lift

It does surprise me those going up there, at speed, with a bike over their shoulders.

 

[Trackman]

I don't do Hampstead's stairs but I must admit I do have a tendency to do Covent Garden's unless there is a lift ready and waiting and enough space. Probably doesn't save me much or any time but it does help me get some exercise in.

Hampstead boasts 320 steps, dunno if this is true. (well it is the deepest).

Have you watched any Geoff Marshall YouTube videos?

Yep.
As above, Geoff used to count the steps and find they were not actually correct!

 

[Ex LT]

Thanks to everyone very helpful.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Nov 2022 ==

Hang on.... there's a middle concourse built in anticipation of the Chelsea-Hackney line at Angel?

I remember when I worked in planning there were station plans for the Chelsea-Hackney line.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Nov 2022 ==

Have you watched any Geoff Marshall YouTube videos?

I shall have to check Geoff's YouTube videos.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Nov 2022 ==

I remember working at the Elephant Bakerloo side where the staff would race up and down the stairs to see who was quickest!

 

[swt_passenger]

…I shall have to check Geoff's YouTube videos.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Nov 2022 ==

I remember working at the Elephant Bakerloo side where the staff would race up and down the stairs to see who was quickest!

It’s this one, to save searching:

 

[Ex LT]

It’s this one, to save searching:

Thanks for this.

 

[Mikey C]

Camden was taped off when I walked past it the other day so.I guess they don't want you to use it unless it's a real emergency

They sometimes divert passengers entering the station down the stairs to free up the escalators for exiting passengers. It's not very far down.

 

[Jonny]

I ended up going down the stairs at Lancaster Gate (LU) in normal circumstances a few months ago. It was signposted as such.

They sometimes divert passengers entering the station down the stairs to free up the escalators for exiting passengers. It's not very far down.

Better than closing the station to entering passengers, which used to be the case (at Camden Town).

 

[Leisurefirst]

I don't know how many Googe St has but I know it's a lot. I've climbed up and down them in the middle of the night enough times, when I was a Station Supervisor there

Ues, my jelly legs after I last did it (up) can attest to this.

 

[tbtc]

(Trivially minor thing that’s not a direct criticism of any poster on this thread: I do get irked by the continual use of “spiral” to refer to stairs that aren’t all in one straight line… truly “spiral” stairs would be a much wider radius at the other end, they look like the line on a shell when viewed from above on a cross section… stairs that see each level directly above the ones below are a helix, and should really be “helical”… I can’t think of any genuine “spiral” staircase on the railway network, but there are plenty of “helical” examples, e.g. those built around a lift shaft, where each level consistently follows the pattern of the previous, so would look like square/ rectangle/ circle etc from above… but I fear that it’s one of those examples of an incorrect term in the English language that is so commonplace that there’s no point fighting the tide of public opinion… however people on here seem to enjoy being petty and pedantic about the most trivial of issues so I thought I’d mention one of mine)

The stations that I use which have spiral staircases (which I use occasionally - though more often when going downwards...) seem to have the number of steps that the signs suggest. But the warning signs in some places saying things such as "like climbing the stairs in a x-storey building" are notoriously nonsense. I am sometimes puzzled that the signs at the bottom of some staircases don't just warn you how many steps there are, but say "use only in emergency" or similar. Do they really have such a dim view of people's fitness these days that they want to dissuade people from going up the stairs if they want to?

I think that one big difference is that normally you can either see the far end of the staircase from where you are standing (and therefore know what to expect) or you already know which for you are heading to so can anticipate whether you are fit enough

(e.g. if I’m in a hotel I might walk up a flight or three to get to room 216 or 316 rather than wait for the lift, but I’d be reluctant to if my room was 816 or 916… if visiting an unfamiliar office I might walk up to meet a Client on the second or third floor but if they are on the fifteenth floor then maybe I’ll forgo the stairs)

On the Underground, people might use a particular station to change trains every day but have no idea quite how many meters below street level it is, so be surprised to find themselves climbing half a dozen floors and realising that they aren’t even half way up

Maybe I’ll get accused of being “woke” or something equally terrible but I don’t see a problem in allowing people unfamiliar with something to anticipate whether they’ll be able to get (themselves and luggage/ children) to the far end of a staircase, given that we all have different levels of health - is a bit like a menu showing which option is spicier

 

[bramling]

(Trivially minor thing that’s not a direct criticism of any poster on this thread: I do get irked by the continual use of “spiral” to refer to stairs that aren’t all in one straight line… truly “spiral” stairs would be a much wider radius at the other end, they look like the line on a shell when viewed from above on a cross section… stairs that see each level directly above the ones below are a helix, and should really be “helical”… I can’t think of any genuine “spiral” staircase on the railway network, but there are plenty of “helical” examples, e.g. those built around a lift shaft, where each level consistently follows the pattern of the previous, so would look like square/ rectangle/ circle etc from above… but I fear that it’s one of those examples of an incorrect term in the English language that is so commonplace that there’s no point fighting the tide of public opinion… however people on here seem to enjoy being petty and pedantic about the most trivial of issues so I thought I’d mention one of mine)



I think that one big difference is that normally you can either see the far end of the staircase from where you are standing (and therefore know what to expect) or you already know which for you are heading to so can anticipate whether you are fit enough

(e.g. if I’m in a hotel I might walk up a flight or three to get to room 216 or 316 rather than wait for the lift, but I’d be reluctant to if my room was 816 or 916… if visiting an unfamiliar office I might walk up to meet a Client on the second or third floor but if they are on the fifteenth floor then maybe I’ll forgo the stairs)

On the Underground, people might use a particular station to change trains every day but have no idea quite how many meters below street level it is, so be surprised to find themselves climbing half a dozen floors and realising that they aren’t even half way up

Maybe I’ll get accused of being “woke” or something equally terrible but I don’t see a problem in allowing people unfamiliar with something to anticipate whether they’ll be able to get (themselves and luggage/ children) to the far end of a staircase, given that we all have different levels of health - is a bit like a menu showing which option is spicier

In principle I agree with the latter point, however in practice it causes too many problems. As someone who often walks up such staircases, one doesn’t really want to be hindered by people sprawled out on the floor getting their breath back, which is quite a common occurrence at Covent Garden.

 

[Mikey C]

In principle I agree with the latter point, however in practice it causes too many problems. As someone who often walks up such staircases, one doesn’t really want to be hindered by people sprawled out on the floor getting their breath back, which is quite a common occurrence at Covent Garden.

That's one of the things which can make spiral staircases so unpleasant to use. That and trying to "overtake" slow people on the impossibly narrow centre part of the staircase is quite a challenge.